aides say reid's plan would avoid tax increases for people making less than $250,000, eliminate some big spending cuts and restore unemployment benefits. >> i think you're likely to see a two-step process here, one sort of dealing with the immediate dynamics so that you could in fact set up a situation where you could deal with the larger situation. >> reporter: without a deal, bush-era tax cuts will expire january 1st and deep spending cuts will set in. congress set up the deadline, hoping it would force a compromise. so far, that's backfired. also flying back on air force one is lieutenant governor brian schatz and will likely be sworn in later today. just before taking off, he tweeted that he's looking forward to supporting the president's agenda. reporting live in washington, i'm dan yeielle leigh. mara, back to you. >> thank you. >>> tim geithner is adding to the pressure to get the office calf cliff deal done. in an open letter wednesday, he warned the federal government may not be able to pay its bills once the country reaches its borrowing limit on december 31st, which is mon